County commissioners voted Monday to put the penny increase on the November ballot

Osceola County voters will decide in November whether they want to raise their sales-tax rate to what could be the highest in the state.

County commissioners Monday voted 4-1 to ask voters whether they agree to raise the local-option sales tax by 1 percent. If approved, Osceola's total sales-tax rate would be 8 percent until 2025 and could become the highest in Florida. Hillsborough County is asking its voters for a similar increase to 8 percent.

"The easiest part of my job is when we get to let voters decide," County Commission Chairman Fred Hawkins said. He and Commissioners Ken Smith, Brandon Arrington and Michael Harford voted for the referendum. Commissioner John Quiñones was the dissenting vote.

If the voters approve the sales-tax increase, it would generate an estimated $30 million a year that would go into a special fund for road and bridge improvements. County Manager Don Fisher said the fund would enhance the county's bonding capabilities, which in turn would allow for more than $200 million in projects to be started by spring 2011.

Nearly $400 million in road projects could end up being financed with the special fund, Fisher added.

"To me, this is about economic development and advantage," Arrington said. "For each dollar you put into infrastructure, you get at least 3 [dollars] into your economy. Some people will say that it is as much as 7 [dollars]."

Arrington didn't cite the source of his information.

The fund would be used to make improvements to at least 12 roads and bridges, including Buenaventura Boulevard, Bill Beck Boulevard and the Osceola Parkway. Mass transit, such as Lynx routes and SunRail, will not benefit from the fund. Fisher and others think voters wouldn't support the sales-tax increase if mass transit was included in the pitch.

Quiñones, the only opposing vote, said he was concerned that a higher sales tax would detour people from doing business in the county, which already has high impact fees, property taxes and fire fees. He was also critical of the way the initiative is being pushed.

"We've been at this for one month," Quiñones said. "Other communities have taken the time to educate people and do outreach work for two years. I'm telling you, we're rushing this, we're not doing this right, and it is going to fail in November."

Hillsborough County officials, who will pose a similar ballot question to voters in November for a penny increase, have been campaigning for two years, Quiñones said. Hillsborough would fund buses and light rail with their 1 percent tax increase, in addition to roads and bridges.

Arrington argued that the subject had been discussed on and off by Osceola officials for at least 14 years.

"How much longer are we going to wait?" he said. "Two more years? Four more years? Who is going to come to a community that is blighted and has no infrastructure?"

Commissioner Harford said that putting the referendum forth without a mass transit component was a terrible mistake, but he agreed to let voters decide.